Here's the post you've all been waiting for (right?): volume 2 of the anti-haul series! Once again I'll chat about how I stay in control of my beauty budget by rejecting the marketing tricks that brands employ to make us buy all the things. Keep reading to see 5 new beauty products I won't buy and why!

To read more about the concept of anti-haul and why I decided to make my own posts on the subject, please take a look at volume 1. In a few words, I was introduced to the idea by Kimberly Clarke and thought it was a great way to discuss the excesses of consumerism in the beauty community, while keeping it light and fun.

Now for the usual warning: I'm a rather strongly opinionated individual and I like to say it like I think it is. I may find some products completely absurd, it doesn't mean that I think you're an idiot if you own them or consider buying them. We all have different tastes and needs, and I never intend to judge you for them. However, I intend to judge beauty products harshly, because that's kind of my job as a beauty blogger. Not everything is "gorgeous" or "amazing" and I want the beauty community as a whole to be a lot more critical of the constant flow of products the industry feeds us.

If you're wondering why I have affiliate links in a post where I criticize consumerism, here's the explanation: since I'm not buying any of these products, I can't take any picture of them myself. Using affiliate networks' image widget tools allows me to show you the products I'm talking about without infringing anyone's copyright.

Alright, let's take a look at the five products or collections I'm saying no to!


GLAMGLOW X MY LITTLE PONY #GLITTERMASK


Do I even really need to tell you why I don't want these masks? Would "because I'm a grown woman" suffice?

If not, consider this:
- There's a hashtag in the product name - never a good sign.
- It's a face mask, so supposedly skincare, but it's chock-full of glitter. In fact the Black Glitter version has large star-shaped sparkles. We all realize that glitter has no beneficial properties for the skin. But, just as a reminder, they're actually pretty bad for your skin, because they can cause irritation when rubbed on (like when you apply or remove the mask), and they're terrible for the environment because they're tiny pieces of plastic that will end up in a dolphin's stomach. Contrary to brightly colored little ponies wearing falsies, dolphins do exist, like the rest of the marine life that chokes on our plastic waste, and you can save them by NOT buying these ridiculous masks.

I wish Glamglow could explain to me how they thought making a firming mask - typically formulated for consumers over 30 - cross-contaminated with magical pony glittery pooh was a good idea. And for $59 no less!! They tried hard to find a good reason to make limited edition skincare, and apparently that's the best they could come up with?


L'OREAL PARADISE ENCHANTED SCENTED EYESHADOW PALETTE


What's with the obsession with food scented makeup? Why would I want my eyeshadows, of all makeup things, to smell like fruits? Are we expected to sniff each other's eyelids now? I mean my cat would happily join the trend, but I don't think I'm ready for that level of intimacy with strangers!

I'm not against scented face makeup, although I prefer when it's light and subtle. But why would I want to put fragrance on my eyes? The eye area is where the skin is the thinnest and the most sensitive. Besides, I don't know if that's me being particularly clumsy, but I often end up with shadow particles inside my eye, especially when I'm applying to my lower lash line. Fragrance, whether natural or synthetic, is a known irritant and I see no reason whatsoever to put it in my eyes, thank you very much!

And can we all agree that peach scented makeup is a niche that's already claimed by Too Faced, and that it's so last year? And then we can all move on?


BEAUTYBLENDER SAPPHIRE


We get it: all the beauty brands are out to get our money. After all, as businesses, it's their job to turn a profit and they're expected by their shareholders to be always growing from one year to the next. We could discuss the fact that the belief in perpetual growth is magical thinking but that should be the subject of a different kind of post... Anyways, one of the ways beauty brands try to increase their sales is by launching more products, especially limited edition ones so people have an urge to buy them quickly before they disappear.

Always coming up with something new is a tall order for a brand like Beautyblender, who only makes one thing: egg-shaped makeup sponges. So they scratched their heads for a while, they released bar soap (life changing!), they launched different sizes of their eggs, and then they had a genius idea. Let's make our eggs in other colors than the original pink, they thought, but we'll release them as limited editions so people will want to buy them before they sell out! Doesn't matter that it's the exact same sponge, they'll purchase it because of FOMO!

You think I'm exaggerating? That I'm letting my natural sarcasm take over? Read the description of the new and limited edition blue Beautyblender on Sephora's website: "Equal parts sultry and sophisticated, beautyblender® sapphire stands out like a rich bauble on your vanity with its stunning jewel-tone hue. Made with the same exclusive, super-soft aqua-activated™ material as the original beautyblender, it provides an airbrushed, second skin effect and seamless application. The dazzling new shade is a must-have for your makeup wardrobe. Why blend in when you can blend boldly?"

I looked for the /s at the end of the blurb, but I couldn't find it... Besides, they seriously trademarked the term "aqua-activated" ?!? Beautyblender, where subtle, clever marketing tactics go to die.


BECCA BE A LIGHT FACE PALETTE


Finishing powders that even the skin tone and blur texture have been around for ages, and I think that Becca is very late to the party with this new palette. We've had the Guerlain Météorites for decades, literally, but the other brand that Becca's Be A Light really seems to be a rip-off of is Hourglass with their palettes containing finishing powders, bronzer, blush and highlighter.

I have nothing against the idea of a palette containing a bunch of different powders that all have a luminous finish, but in this case, I see a few issues. The blush and the contour pan, in the center, seem very small, and I don't expect a normal-sized blush brush to fit in there easily.

Besides, looking at the Light to Medium palette (there's also a Medium to Deep), what's supposed to be the Blur powder on the right looks like it could be a shade of bronzer for my skin tone. In fact Becca describes it this way: "A flattering beige that blurs imperfections and warms the complexion". Wait what? A blurring finishing powder and a bronzer that warms the complexion are two VERY different things. If it's a bronzer, I'm not going to use it around my nose, where I'd really benefit from a blurring powder.

I already have a finishing powder that does a great job at creating a soft focus effect on my skin. I have blushes I love. I have luminous bronzers. I have beautiful highlighters. Why would I need to buy this palette, as pretty as it looks in photos?


TARTE GOLD INFUSED SKINCARE

To be honest I'd probably never buy any skincare from Tarte. For me, they're a makeup brand - not necessarily a great one - so I wouldn't trust them to create really outstanding skincare formulas. And with their newly released Maracuja Gold Oil (which is, guess what, limited edition!) and Cosmic Maracuja Concentrated Face Balm, they're proving me right.

Not everything that shines is gold, and not everything that contains gold is better. Gold in skincare has zero benefits for the skin, no matter how expensive the metal is. At least Tarte doesn't pretend that the gold flakes are going to make your skin younger, which is nonsense I've seen before. But still, they think that having gold in skincare products is going to help them sell. Sorry, but no. I'd rather buy effective products than gimmicky ones.




I received no compensation to write this post, which only reflects my personal opinion. This post contains affiliate links. I receive a very small commission when you click on those links, and the money generated covers a small portion of my expenses to purchase products for review. Clicking on those links helps ensure that Beaumiroir continues to publish reviews of new and exciting high end French products - at no cost to you!